The Hands of Jesus
(Exhortation - February 2003)
During his healing ministry, the Lord Jesus gently but firmly laid his hands upon many people. What kind of hands did he have? Were they soft and elegantly manicured? This is most unlikely due to Jesus having worked as a carpenter in his early years. Hauling raw lumber, sanding it in order to smooth out the rough edges, removing the splinters and working it into a useful article are not conducive to soft, delicate hands. On the contrary, such work would produce calloused ones reflective of the carpentry trade. However, the physical appearance is unimportant; the emphasis should be on how he used them. The gospels show that Jesus stretched out his hands to heal, to save and to bless.
Let us consider some of the healing miracles that our Lord performed, paying special attention to references of his touch: “And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them” (Matt. 8:14,15). The hand of Peter’s mother-in-law would have been damp and limp due to her high fever, but at the touch of the life-giving hand of the Savior, her whole body was restored and she was able to wait upon them with renewed strength and vigor.
Clamoring for his touch
Jesus did not hesitate to touch persons the law deemed untouchable. For
example, there was a requirement for a leper to shout “unclean,
unclean” to warn others to avoid contact and infection. Just the
thought of touching a leper was a horrifying experience to a Jew. Yet the
tender compassion and healing hand of Jesus brought wonder and gladness to
one such outcast: “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him,
saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth
his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately
his leprosy was cleansed” (Matt. 8:2). Thus it came about that a man
who had been shunned and starved of human touch bowed in reverence before
him.
Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, understood that the touch of Jesus was a matter of life and death: “He fell at his feet and besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live” Accordingly, the father’s faith was rewarded: “And he took her by the hand…and straightway the damsel arose …” (Mark 5:23, 41-42).
Another time two blind men showed their spiritual insight by calling out: “Thou son of David, have mercy on us…Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened…” (Matt. 9:27, 29-30).
Again, friends brought a deaf and speech-impaired man to Jesus: “and they beseech him to put his hand upon him” (Mark 7:32-35). This man felt the fingers of the Lord in his ears and on his tongue prior to his being healed.
Likewise, friends of a blind man from Bethsaida requested the healing touch of the Master who then led him away from the crowd, “spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him” (Mark 8:22-25).
A
father’s plea
After the transfiguration, Jesus came down from the mount and was approached
by another distraught father who begged for his epileptic son to be healed.
(His hopes had been crushed at the failed attempt of the disciples).
“And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit
tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. Jesus said unto
him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people
came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou
dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into
him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he
was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by
the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose” (Mark 9:20, 23-27). The
child immediately relaxed at the touch of Jesus and his malady left him.
Familiarity breeds contempt
These examples show the compassion of Jesus when he used his hands to bring
succor to those in need who sought him in faith. How different were the
circumstances when he came to his hometown: “And when the Sabbath day was
come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were
astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom
is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by
his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of
James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with
us? And they were offended at him” (Mark 6:1-3).
In Nazareth, Jesus was taken for granted, which prompted the retort: “A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house” (Mark 6:4). They remembered this man as a neighbor’s son, one who made furniture, and yokes for the oxen. Familiarity was their stumblingblock, so that the gracious words he spoke in the temple and the amazing feats of healing which attested to his Messiahship only engendered unbelief. The sad result was that their lack of recognition and faith was self defeating as it served to limit his work among them: “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them” (Mark 6:6).
In addition to their use in the healing miracles, the hands of Jesus were also stretched to save and to bless. When Peter climbed out of the boat and walked on water toward the Lord, he was full of faith and enthusiasm. But once in the water, his focus was transferred from Jesus to the surrounding boisterous waves and he became aware of his imminent danger from drowning. It was then that he began to sink, crying: “Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him” (Matt. 14:30-31). We must not fail to recognize the lesson here; we need to keep our eyes firmly fixed upon our Savior else we, too, will flounder.
Extended blessings
In regard to blessing, there can be no lovelier occasion upon which to draw
than the time when parents brought their children for Jesus: “To put his
hands on them, and pray...” (Matt. 19:13).
We are here this morning because of the one whose hands took up bread and wine instructing his followers that these basic elements of food and drink were to become emblematic of his coming sacrifice.
The following morning, after the institution of what came to be known as the love feast, those same hands were pierced with crude Roman nails in the barbaric act of crucifixion. Incredibly, even though his hands were impaled and seared through with excruciating pain, the Lord Jesus was still able to extend the blessing of salvation to a thief.
Ten days later, the hands bearing the wounds of his agony were held out to Thomas: “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach thither thy finger, and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27). Thomas did not need to confirm the identity by feeling the damaged hands, the sight alone was sufficient to cause Thomas to recognize that, standing before him, was the manifestation of God. The sight caused him to cry out in amazement and joy: “My Lord and my God.”
Recognition through scars
The last sight the disciples had of Jesus was as he stood on the Mount of
Olives with his pierced hands lifted up in a solemn High-Priestly blessing:
“And he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass,
while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven”
(Luke 24:50-51). Interestingly, on his return the Jewish nation will
recognize him by the very wounds for which they were responsible: “And
they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for
him, as one mourneth for his only son…In that day shall there be a great
mourning in Jerusalem…and the land shall mourn (Zech. 12:10-12).
As we wait patiently for that day, we are grateful to have the scriptures wherein we can read of the Lord’s love and compassion. Our hearts are uplifted in the knowledge that his healing touch is still available to guide and direct our ways.
Bill Brinkerhoff